Books That Make You Fall in Love With Reading

I have always loved reading. Mum says that even at the age of two, I used to point at the pictures on a book and ask her to read it out for me. I then slowly moved on to read fairy tales and those beautiful classics which are a must read for kids, including Charlotte’s Web and Pippi Longstocking. I could be almost always found in a corner of the house with my nose buried in a book. When somebody asks you what was the one book that made you fall in love with reading, I know how difficult it is to answer. I, for one, know that because I can’t pick just one. Was it Sherlock Holmes or Alice in Wonderland? Was it Nancy Drew or Arabian Nights? Ah! So, you see what I mean.

Yet, I had the audacity to ask some of my friends who are known book nerds the exact same question and this is what they had to answer.

P.S: Read till the end which book I picked!I understand that not everyone has a love for reading. But if you want to begin somewhere and is ready to take the plunge, this list will help you do just that and appreciate the world of words.

Which is that one book that made you fall in love with reading?

Ask me about a book nerd I know, I’d say it is Corinne Rodrigues from Everyday Gyaan. Founder of Write Tribe blogging community, she always has to her credit the Out Do Yourself Reading Challenge and the Write Tribe Reading Challenge. “When I close my eyes, I see a small darkish room in a guest house where I began to read a book that seemed a little too heavy for an 11-year-old.But I loved it. And there began my journey with Miss Austen. The book? Pride and Prejudice. Soon after I read Emma and then there was no stopping me. I read all of her books. And I’ve read them all over and over again. “, she says.

It has only been a few months since I set up a Bookstagram account with my darling Golden Retriever. The amount of love we receive from the community is insane. If there is one person that I, no, we absolutely adore is Mridula from Ecstatic Yet Chaotic. Her Instagram feed is beautiful and her reviews are always honest and not biased. “I think it was the Panchatantra. I found so much of life in those stories and the magical world they took me to. That is what fuelled my love for fictional worlds. I always wanted a world that is different from what I was put into and that series was my escape.”

A dear friend, a true bibliophile Vinay from I Rhyme Without Reason has picked up one of my favorite books. “There is no one book as such. But the first book I read was The Hound of Baskervilles, which I enjoyed. It was my first foray into reading crime fiction and that made me fall in love with the genre which has become my favorite genre since.”

A book blogger whose review I can trust with my eyes closed is Soumya Prasad from Life of Leo. Her book reviews are to the point, critical and non-biased. Our interests often match and there is quite a number of books that I have picked up based on her recommendations. I was never disappointed. She says, “There are way too many! One of the first books that I fell in love with was Tell me your dreams by Sidney Sheldon. I think it was the storyline and the fact that you could live three lives at once that piqued my interest.”

Ramya Rao from Words & Me is another dear friend from the blogosphere. I love reading her poems, they are so poignant, yet easy to read and relatable. Here’s her pick. “I think it is A Thousand Splendid Suns. I was the kind of person who relished Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew books. I read this book when I was 18 and that triggered something different in me. It was the first time I read this kind of genre and it had such a deep impact in me. I was moved by how stories from other’s lives can influence and inspire you in a way you can never imagine. That book was a turning point in my reading for I was stuck on one particular genre. I no longer do that. That book made me explore myself and in words told me how I as a woman and a writer could influence the lives of many.”

Another book blogger who I love love love is Shantala from Shanaya Tales. Her book reviews are crisp, lucid, candid and genuine. I have picked up both Indian and International books based solely on her recommendations. Maybe you should too. She says, “As far back as I can remember, I have always loved books. But if there’s one book/series that got me hooked on to reading, to never let go, it’s the Harry Potter books. Which I know is a cliche at this point, but hey it’s a cliche for a reason. And like any true Potterhead, I cannot summarize my love for this story in a few lines. I can actually write a whole other book on that. But I believe what initially got me hooked was the fantastical element of a whole different parallel universe of magic, friendship & adventure. And the fact that I could relate to Hermoine, who sought all the answers to life’s questions in a library.”

Reema D’souza from The Write World is a bookworm I know. She writes fabulous poems and hosts Wednesday Verses, a weekly link up, (along with Vinay) on her blog. She says, “The first author that I was introduced to was Enid Blyton with Noddy. But what caught my fancy was the Famous Five and Secret Seven series. These books introduced me to a different world. They transported me to a world where adventure existed. Enid Blyton introduced me to mysteries – a genre that is still close to my heart. She made my world a lot more interesting as she took me along with the Secret Seven or Famous Five on their adventures. These were the books that made my summers better and interesting.”

Last but definitely not the least, is a darling friend who is always there whenever I need to bawl my eyes out – Kala Ravi from Relax N Rave is a book worm. She introduced me to Sudha Murthy and Enid Blyton. Oh yes! And her love for bloodthirsty vampires made me pick up the Twilight series which I had, till then, decided not to touch. Let’s hear what she has to say. “The first book I read was an Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven series. This book introduced me to the world of fiction. Fiction was a place of innumerable possibilities, beyond my wildest dreams. I won’t say it was the best bookI’ve read, but it was my first and it made me want to seek out more like it.”

It is now time to disclose my picks. That would be Shakespearean plays. Of course, I read the kid’s version as a child. I especially remember the strong, powerful and intelligent Portia from the Merchant of Venice who uses her clever wit to save Antonio. More on that later! (hint to one of the upcoming posts, Oops!)

Thank you very much to all the dear bloggers who contributed to this post. I was pulling my hairs apart as to what to write for this letter and at the eleventh hour decided to ask you fabulous people to pitch in with that one book which changed your life with words. Thanks again. It truly means a lot. More love and power to you!

Disclaimer: The post contains affiliate links, which means, if you make a purchase through this link, I will earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

That’s all for now! Hope you loved the recommendations. If I ask you the same question, what will you answer? Let me know in the comment section below.I hope you’ll drop by tomorrow too.

My theme for the A to Z Challenge this year is ‘Celebrating the Bibliophile in me’, where I would share the books, authors and fictional characters that I love, loathe and tolerate.Ah, there could be more!You can follow me on my Bookstagram at Muffytales.

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About the Author

Shalini is an IT Analyst by profession, avid blogger by passion and a nomad by choice. She is a proud Army Wife, a trained classical dancer, and an aspiring YouTuber. Her ardent love for books, food, and travel brought her to the blogging world. She also blogs at Something's Cooking. When she is not cooking up a storm or writing her heart out, she can be found with her nose buried in a book and her Golden Retriever Mufasa, resting his face on her lap.

19 Comments

Some of my first favorites were Enid Blytons, Amar Chitra Kathas, Chandamamas, Indrajal Comics and more.. I cannot pick a single favorite book though.. I will need many many top ten lists to get through all of mine.. .and love all the books you list here too..

This was such a fantastic idea you had Shalini because now I can also follow all these book reviewers 🙂 I also began with Enid Blyton’s but the book that really changed my life was “Gone With The Wind”. I didn’t a book could have the power to transport you to another world before I read that. I’ve read it multiple times since then and have memorised my favourite lines and scenes.

I can say as a kid and even grown up I loved READING!! I would love comics, megazines, story books and much of the reading was limited to syllabus and then research papers. I shifted to the ‘Actual Readding’ late. If you ask me who is the most read Author by Me; It is AMISH. I have read all his books and desperately waiting for the last book in Ram Chandra Series.

Hey like you even I can’t decide my dear what actually hooked me to reading . Also it is immense pleasure reading your list of bloggers which mostly are common friends including you buddy . I am warmed to be here today.

There are so many books I loved to read and have left an everlasting impression on me. But I can’t say any one book. After family, I am slow on reading but now it’s exciting to know that bloggers review as soon as they read a book. This is so adventurous and I am loving this moment

All you need in life is chai, book and blogging. Shakespeare I picked during my grads. And the thousand Splendid sun, I recommend to anyone and everyone. I really like it Shalini , how you acknowledged your fellow bloggers too. I absolutely love Corinne’s space. She has created an along together different space.
And I am really glad to connect with you through this challenge

The books you have mentioned sound very promising, but to be honest, though I am voracious reader I have read none of them. I read both fiction and non-fiction. I started with Enid Blyton and moved to Hardy Boys and then there has been no turning back. Among non-fiction I read Stephen Hawking, John Gribbon and Bertrand Russel and Yuval Noah Harari who is simply a brilliant writer. You have introduced me to a new set of books which I will definitely try out the fairy tales sometime even though they seems to be meant for kids and I am 52. 🙂

You my dear girl have made me go back in time when my tryst with reading began. I just remembered that even before the Enid Blytons, it was the humble monthly installments of Indrajal comics alongwith the newspaper, the Amar Chitra Kathas that one received as gifts from visiting aunts, the Champak and Tinkle purchased on train journeys and the musty and rather ragged Archies, Casper, lil Dot comics borrowed from friends or second hand shops….that first made me fall in love with the written word. Of course, Enid Blyton holds a rather dear position in my heart for making my love for words a permanent affair! Loved this post Shalini. It was wonderful reading about the first book loves all the avid readers and book reviewers you’ve included in this post. And thanks a bunch for the mention!! 💖Kala Ravi recently posted…Summer Snippets

Ok, I got glued to books very late in life. That is around the time I was 21 years of age. And ho-behold what a glue it was. Well the reason why I turned into a reader is ‘The Prodigal Daughter’ by Jeffery Archer. I so want to revisit the book and relive the experience.

I have been a book lover since I was a 7 or 8 year old. At that time my favourite books were Amar Chitra Katha and Chandamama. I then graduated to other childrens books and then into everything else. Till date, I can fall asleep without reading atleast for 10 mins. It is a daily routine!

Honestly I have never been a book lover till the time my boyfriend ( now husband) encouraged me to read few. Today I love to read the books, though time is a challenge but still I have a soft corner for the book lovers 😄

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Kohl Eyed Blogger

Shalini is an avid blogger by passion with an insatiable curiosity. She is a proud Army Wife who hails from Kerala (but now atop a beautiful hilltop in Uttarakhand), a wayfarer, who globe-trots with her camera, capturing all that's magical.